Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Edition revealed, limited to 100 units

KUALA LUMPUR: With an intent to pay tribute to its racing history, the British automaker, Lotus, has come up with a quarter of new special-edition versions of the Elise sports car. The Elise Classic Heritage Editions exhibit vibrant and distinctive colour palettes inspired by the winning racing liveries. Lotus celebrates this year as the 60th anniversary of its entry into F1.

The exterior colour combinations are red, white, and gold; black and gold; red and silver; and blue and white. The red, white, and gold livery imitates the Type 49B that Graham Hill raced in 1968. The black and gold colour pattern honours the Lotus Type 72D Formula 1 car Emerson Fittipaldi competed in the 1972 season.

The red and silver scheme is inspired by the Lotus Type 81 from 1980, which was driven by Elio de Angelis, Nigel Mansell, and Mario Andretti. While the car decked up in dark blue and white scheme is a homage to the Lotus Type 18 from 1960. 

All four editions are derived from Elise Sport 220; thus the mechanical set of all the cars is the same. However, Lotus has made all Elise Classic Heritage Editions more exciting and more desirable than the standard model, thanks to an impressive list of enhanced exterior and interior features. The special versions also feature a uniquely numbered plaque on the dash.

The added features are ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels, 2-piece disc brakes, air-conditioning, cruise control, DAB digital radio, and black carpet with floor mats. Moreover, the cars have matching interior elements for upper door trim, door detailing, central seat insert, dashboard, and gear selector surround.

“Motorsport success has been at the heart of the Lotus philosophy for more than seven decades, and the Elise is our iconic roadster known around the world for its exceptional ‘For The Drivers’ performance,” said Ema Forster, the head of product marketing at Lotus. She further added, “What better way to celebrate than by bringing these two pillars of our brand together, launching four new Classic Heritage cars which fans will instantly recognize?”

The production of Classic Heritage Edition will be limited to 100 units, and the firm will not necessarily build 25 of each trim; instead, the final number will be determined by customer demand. It is available for sale in selected global markets with a price tag of RM 248,244.

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